Laser treatment cooling head

Abstract

A cooling head for attachment to a skin treatment laser has a metal body with a mount at one end for attachment to a laser head to secure the metal body to the head. A cooling surface at the other end is for application to a patient's skin and has an aperture therethrough. A bore extends from the mount through the body to the aperture in the cooling surface to allow a laser beam to be passed therethrough to a treatment area of the patient's skin. An extraction port enables removal of debris from the treatment area and for connection to a vacuum source. An optically transparent window is disposed in the body to allow the treatment area to be viewed. A cooling means (liquid flow heat exchanger, Peltier device) enables heat removal from the body in use in order to cool the cooling surface. A method of skin treatment employs the cooling head to cool the area surrounding the treatment area to reduce pain and protect the skin of the patient.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A cooling head for a skin treatment laser, the cooling head comprising 
       a metal or other thermally conductive body having  
       a mount disposed at one end for attachment to a laser head to secure the body relative to the head in a fixed position;  
       a cooling surface at the other end for application to a patient's skin and having a aperture therethrough;  
       a bore extending from the mount through the body to the aperture in the cooling surface through respective open ends to allow a laser beam to be passed therethrough to a treatment area of the patient's skin;  
       an extraction port for enabling removal of debris from the treatment area and for connection to a vacuum source; and  
       an optically transparent window disposed in the body to allow the treatment area at the aperture in the cooling surface to be viewed by a surgeon using the laser; and  
       a cooling means provided in or on the body to enable heat removal from the body in use in order to cool the cooling surface.  
     
     
       2. A cooling head according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling means comprises a coolant passage. 
     
     
       3. A cooling head according to  claim 2 , wherein the coolant passage comprises one or more coolant pathways formed through the body or disposed on the exterior of the metal body in intimate contact with the body, to form a heat exchanger. 
     
     
       4. A cooling head according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling means comprises an electronic cooling means. 
     
     
       5. A cooling head according to  claim 4 , wherein the electronic cooling means comprises a Peltier device. 
     
     
       6. A cooling head according to  claim 1 , wherein the body has a side wall, and the optically transparent window disposed in the body comprises an open section in the side wall of the body. 
     
     
       7. A cooling head according to  claim 6 , wherein the open section comprises an aperture, said aperture being angled towards the aperture in the cooling surface. 
     
     
       8. A cooling head according to  claim 1 , wherein the optically transparent window disposed in the body comprises a solid transparent element. 
     
     
       9. A cooling head according to  claim 1 , wherein the mount has an annular counter-bore at the respective open end of the bore and has fastenings for securing a laser head in a defined position within the counter-bore. 
     
     
       10. A cooling head for a skin treatment laser, the cooling head comprising 
       a body having  
       a mount disposed at one end for attachment to a laser head to secure the body relative to the head in a fixed position;  
       a surface at the other end for application to a patient's skin and having an aperture therethrough;  
       a coolant passage through the body to enable a fluid coolant to be passed to a treatment area of the patient's skin through the surface, in use in order to cool the patient's skin;  
       an extraction passage through the body for enabling removal of coolant and debris from the treatment area;  
       a bore or passage extending from the mount through the body to the aperture in the cooling surface to allow a laser beam to be passed therethrough; and  
       an optically transparent window disposed in the body to allow the treatment area at the aperture in the surface to be viewed by a surgeon using the laser.  
     
     
       11. A cooling head according to  claim 10 , wherein the coolant passage connects with the aperture in the surface to enable coolant to be provided to the patient's skin at the point of application of the laser beam. 
     
     
       12. A cooling head according to  claim 11 , wherein the body is at least partly formed of metal adjacent the surface in order to enable the surface to be cooled by the flow of coolant through or around the body. 
     
     
       13. A cooling head according to  claim 10 , further comprising an electronic cooling means. 
     
     
       14. A cooling head according to  claim 13 , wherein the electronic cooling means comprises a Peltier device. 
     
     
       15. A cooling head according to  claim 10 , wherein the body has a side wall, and the optically transparent window disposed in the body comprises an open section in the side wall of the body. 
     
     
       16. A cooling head according to  claim 15 , wherein the open section comprises an aperture, said aperture being angled towards the aperture in the cooling surface. 
     
     
       17. A cooling head according to  claim 10 , wherein the optically transparent window disposed in the body comprises a solid transparent element. 
     
     
       18. A cooling head according to  claim 10 , wherein the coolant passage passes through the body and the surface at a location adjacent the aperture to enable coolant to be provided to the patient's skin adjacent the point of application of the laser beam. 
     
     
       19. A cooling head according to  claim 10 , wherein the coolant passage comprises inlet and outlet ports and an internal chamber formed within the body and opening, to the patient's skin, through the said surface. 
     
     
       20. A cooling head according to  claim 10 , wherein the mount comprises an annular counter-bore at the respective open end of the bore and has fastenings fro securing a laser head in a defined position within the counter-bore. 
     
     
       21. A method of cooling an area of a patient's skin surrounding a treatment area to reduce or eliminate pain, or tissue damage around the treatment area during skin surgical treatment thereto, the method comprising the steps of: 
       applying a cooling surface to a patient's skin, the cooling surface having an aperture therethrough to allow treatment to be effected therethrough to the treatment area of the patient's skin;  
       passing a cooling fluid into thermal contact with the cooling surface the cooling fluid being isolated from the treatment area; and  
       thereby cooling the cooling surface whereby the area of the patient's skin surrounding the treatment area is cooled.  
     
     
       22. A method of surgical skin treatment, the method comprising the steps of 
       applying a cooling surface to an area of a patient's skin surrounding a treatment area, the cooling surface having an aperture therethrough to allow treatment to be effected therethrough to the treatment area of the patient's skin;  
       passing a cooling fluid into thermal contact with the cooling surface the cooling fluid being isolated from the treatment area,  
       thereby cooling the cooling surface whereby the patient's skin is cooled around the aperture; and  
       simultaneously with said cooling, carrying out a surgical skin treatment procedure to the treatment are of the patient's skin through the aperture,  
       whereby pain, or tissue damage around the area of treatment are reduced or eliminated by the action of cooling the patient's skin around the area of treatment.  
     
     
       23. A method of cooling an area of a patient's skin surrounding a treatment area during skin surgical treatment to reduce or eliminate pain, or tissue damage around the treatment area, the method comprising the steps of: 
       applying a cooling surface to a patient's skin, the cooling surface having an aperture therethrough to allow treatment to be effected therethrough to allow treatment to be effected therethrough to the treatment area of the patient's skin;  
       passing a cooling fluid into thermal contact with the cooling surface and to the skin adjacent the cooling surface the cooling fluid being isolated from the treatment area; and  
       thereby cooling the cooling surface and the area of the patient's skin surrounding the aperture.  
     
     
       24. A method of surgical skin treatment, the method comprising the steps of: 
       applying a cooling surface to an area of a patient's skin surrounding treatment area, the cooling surface having an aperture therethrough to allow treatment to be effected therethrough to the treatment area of the patient's skin;  
       passing a cooling fluid into thermal contact with the cooling surface and to the skin adjacent the cooling surface the cooling fluid being isolated from the treatment area;  
       thereby cooling the cooling surface whereby the area of the patient's skin surrounding the treatment area is cooled; and  
       simultaneously with said cooling, carrying out a surgical skin treatment procedure to the patient's skin through the aperture,  
       whereby pain, or tissue damage around the treatment area are reduced or eliminated by the action of cooling the patient's skin surrounding the treatment area.